Dutch Masters Lucas & Arthur Jussen

• Willem Pijper (1894 - 1947): Sonata for Two Pianos:
• 1 Pijper: Sonata for Two Pianos: I. Allegro aperto, ma pesante 03:03
• 2 Pijper: Sonata for Two Pianos: II. Grave 04:13
• 3 Pijper: Sonata for Two Pianos: III. Moderato assai 04:05
• Louis Andriessen (1939 - 2021): Séries:
• 4 L. Andriessen: Séries: I - II - III 02:19
• 5 L. Andriessen: Séries: IV - V - VI 01:49
• 6 L. Andriessen: Séries: VII - VIII - IX 01:52
• 7 L. Andriessen: Séries: X - XI - XII 02:41
• Leo Smit (1900 - 1943): Divertimento:
• 8 Smit: Divertimento: I. Allegro ma non troppo 03:53
• 9 Smit: Divertimento: II. Lento 05:14
• 10 Smit: Divertimento: III. Allegro con fuoco 04:53
• Theo Loevendie (b. 1930): Together:
• 11 Loevendie: Together: I 02:13
• 12 Loevendie: Together: II 04:43
• 13 Loevendie: Together: III 04:35
• Jan Wisse (b. 1955): Cristalli:
• 14 Wisse: Cristalli: I 01:27
• 15 Wisse: Cristalli: II 01:27
• 16 Wisse: Cristalli: III 03:10
• Hans Henkemans (1913 - 1995): Quatre Mains:
• 17 Henkemans: Quatre Mains: Ouverture 02:55
• 18 Henkemans: Quatre Mains: Witch Dance 02:29
• 19 Henkemans: Quatre Mains: Contrasts 01:35
• 20 Henkemans: Quatre Mains: Humoreske 02:41
• Joey Roukens (b.1982): Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra "In Unison":
• 21 Roukens: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra "In Unison": Neon Toccata 08:10
• 22 Roukens: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra "In Unison": What If 14:58
• 23 Roukens: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra "In Unison": Dark Ride 08:20
• Total Runtime 01:32:45

Info for Dutch Masters

On "Dutch Masters", pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen present a rich treasure of Dutch compositions from the last hundred years and also pay tribute to their mentor and teacher Ton Hartsuiker, who recognized, inspired and encouraged the two young talents many years ago. Together with him, Lucas and Arthur Jussen familiarized themselves with the world of contemporary Dutch music from their childhood days in Utrecht and became acquainted with many pieces. The energetic composition "Together" was composed especially for the brothers by Theo Loevendie in 2013 and became an instant hit for the two.

With "Cristalli" from the pen of Jan Wisse and the Sonata for two pianos by Willem Pijper, the young pianists already came into contact with Ton Hartsuiker in their early studies and so Pijper's "Sonata" can also be considered the central piece of the album. Jan Wisse's style challenged the two young artists with its mathematical structure, which gives his music a radiant expressiveness reminiscent of sparkling crystals. When Lucas and Arthur Jussen interpret the piece, one has the comforting feeling that every note is in the right place. The earliest work that the two pianists recorded for their album for the very first time ever is titled "Quatre-mains" and was written in the late 1920s. The pianist and composer Hans Henkemans was only 15 years old himself when he wrote it - and suits Lucas and Arthur Jussen's dexterity very well with his lively, narrative style.

The beauty of French impressionism: the "Divertimento" by Jewish composer Leo Smit recalls the tragic story of the musician who went into hiding in Amsterdam before being murdered by the Nazis. His music nonetheless exudes a great deal of warmth and light and carries the beauty of French Impressionism, which Lucas and Arthur Jussen beautifully express.

On an album with Dutch compositions of the last decades, Louis Andriessen, who became the most famous Dutch composer and visionary after the Second World War and who strongly inspired the music world with his ideas, should of course not be missing. The album's program is rounded off with the piano concerto "In Unison" by Joey Roukens, who combines influences of classical music, techno, jazz and film music in his music and gives the pianists another opportunity to really let off steam at the keys.

"Dutsch Masters" shows the impressive versatility of Dutch compositions: All in all, the album "Dutch Masters" showcases the impressive versatility of Dutch compositions from the last 100 years and also gives the Jussen brothers the opportunity to present the full artistic range of their talent. An exciting album full of aha experiences and musical discoveries.

Lucas Jussen, piano
Arthur Jussen, piano
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Karina Canellakis, conductor

Lucas & Arthur Jussen
‘It is like driving a pair of BMWs’ remarked conductor Michael Schønwandt, after directing the Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen. Despite their young age, they have been taking part in the international concert world for years. Whether they perform as a duo or as soloists, Lucas and Arthur are praised by both press and audiences.

Lucas and Arthur received their first piano lessons from Leny Bettman in their native town of Hilversum. In 2001, Lucas (1993) reached the finale of the Three-day Rotterdam Piano Festival and in 2004, Arthur (1996) was chosen as ‘Young Musical Talent of the Year’ at the National Contest of the Young Musical Talent Foundation. In 2005, the brothers studied in Portugal and Brazil for nearly a year at the invitation of Portuguese master pianist Maria João Pires. In the following years they took lessons from both Pires and two renowned Dutch teachers: Piano pedagogue Jan Wijn took them under his wing, and with Ton Hartsuiker they broadened their knowledge of 20th-century music. In 2011, Lucas and Arthur received the first ever Concertgebouw Young Talent Award, and in 2013 they won the Audience Award of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Lucas and Arthur have performed with nearly all Dutch orchestras, among which the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam and The Hague Philharmonic orchestras, and the Radio Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. They have also performed with acclaimed international orchestras, among others the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, MDR Sinfonie Orchester and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. They have worked with conductors for example Jaap van Zweden, Claus Peter Flor, Elihu Inbal, Jan Willem de Vriend, Stéphane Denève, James Gaffigan, Sir Neville Marriner and Frans Brüggen. Moreover, they have collaborated with several renowned musicians such as Chinese star pianist Lang Lang, with whom Lucas shared the stage during the Prinsengracht Concert in Amsterdam in 2006. In October 2013, Lucas and Arthur performed the world première of Together, a work for two pianos written for them especially by Theo Loevendie.

Besides their orchestral concerts, the brothers are also known and celebrated for their recitals. They performed in both the Master Pianists and Robeco series of the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and have performed for the former Dutch queen Beatrix on several occasions. In 2014, Lucas and Arthur accompanied Dutch king Willem-Alexander and queen Maxima on their first official visit to Poland. They have performed in most concert halls in the Netherlands and have given recitals in concert halls and festivals across Europe, such as the Herkulessaal (Munich), Schloss Elmau, Rheingau Music Festival and the famous Festival de Piano de La Roque d’Anthéron. International tours also brought them beyond Europe to Japan (2012), China (2013) and South Korea (2014).

In 2010, Lucas and Arthur signed a record deal with Deutsche Grammophon. Their debut CD with works by Beethoven received platinum status and was awarded the Edison Klassiek Publieksprijs (audience award). After a successful Schubert recording (gold status), they dedicated their third CD Jeux to French piano music, with works by Fauré, Ravel and Poulenc. In October 2015, their fourth CD will be released on which they perform Mozart’s piano concertos KV365 and KV242, together with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner.

In the 2015/2016 season, Lucas and Arthur will perform several concerts in the Netherlands, as well as recitals in Germany, Japan, Korea, Russia and Mexico. Moreover, they will return to The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and the South Netherlands Philharmonic. This season, Arthur will also undertake a tour through the Netherlands and Europe with the Netherlands Student Orchestra, conducted by Bas Wiegers. Lucas is artist-in-residence at the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra.

Lucas studied with Menahem Pressler in the US and Dmitri Bashkirov at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid, where he was presented with the prize for ‘Best piano trio school year 2013/2014’ by the Spanish queen Sofia. Arthur studies with Jan Wijn at the Amsterdam Conservatory.

This album contains no booklet.